Importance- Real world Concern

 Writing is a vital skill that is often difficult for students with special needs including students with learning disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Students with Autism often work well with computers.

Students with Autism often work better when given visual cues.

Assistive technology is mandated to be considered in the education of students with disabilities.

Look for more research that studied...

Assistive technology and writing.

Students with Autism using computers to help with learning and skill develpoment.

Students with Autism having difficulty with writing.

Students with Autism using picture cues to help with learning and skill development

Word prediction software used with picture to text software.

However,…

(limitation)

 Much of the research has been done with students with Learning Disabilities and other high incidence disabilities.

Much of the research has included word processing with spell check and text to speech.

Some research has been done with word prediction software.

Very little research was found on teh topic of using picture-to-text software to help students with reading. 

Research on using picture-to-text software and/or a combination of word prediction and picture-to-text software for writing could not be found. 

Research using picture-to-text software with students with autism could not be found.

Therefore… (Purpose)/ research questions

Will having access to picture-to-text software on a word processor help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder write more words compared to paper and pencil method?

Will having access to word prediction software on a word processor help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder write more words compared to paper and pencil method?

Will having access to a combination of picture-to-text software and word prediction on a word processor help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder write more words when compared to paper and pencil, picture-to-text only, or word prediction only methods?

How will pairing pictures with text in writing tasks affect a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder’s attitude about writing?

Participants

 3 to 6 Young students in a small private school for students with Autism.

 Living in a large metropolitin area on the East coast.

Data Sources

Around 40- 5 minute writing products - half written by hand, half typed with picture-to-text software and/or word prediction software. 

           Data- Correct Letter Sequence/ Correct Word Sequence/ Writing Rubric

Survey responses (social validity)

Procedures




 

 A summer writing session with 1-2 students at a time

         (or after school sessions, or during the school day)

2-3 time slots

45 minutes to 1 hour starts with 2- 5 minute writing samples after baseline continues with writing practice

Randomize intervention points

Randomize condition sequence

Use direction scripts and video tape for fidelty of treatment

Include inter-observer assessments of writing products 

Data analysis

 Visual data analysis combined with 

 Randomization tests.